Cover Story

Rick Rollins, president of Rollins Performance Marketing LLC, began his term as the chairman of the SEMA Board of Directors in July 2009. His career has included stints as a counterman, a buyer, a regional sales manager and a company owner, and he has also shown his competitive flair in open-wheel race cars.

He has been active in SEMA as well as in the Performance Warehouse Association (PWA) throughout most of his professional life and was elected to the SEMA Hall of Fame in 2006. Rollins was twice named the PWA Person of the Year and has served a total of 16 years on the SEMA Board of Directors. He recently took time to trade questions and answers with SEMA News, discussing his hopes and visions for the association.

The SEMA Show is the premier destination for buyers in the specialty-equipment industry looking to find new products and services for their customers. In 2009, 25,086 buyers went to Las Vegas specifically to bring the newest restyling and car care offerings from the Show floor into their own retail shops.

As the economy starts to rebound, retailers are taking on a new mission—customer recovery. While analysts argue about the official end of the recession, business owners know that the economy doesn’t turn around until new customers begin to open their wallets.

Events

It’s almost that time of the year again when SEMA recognizes the efforts of its Board of Directors at the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser. As the outgoing Board members are honored for their service, the newly elected directors are presented and welcomed by SEMA members.

From The Hill

The United States Senate passed Senate Resolution 513 (S. Res. 513) at the request of the SEMA and the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO), designating July 9, 2010, as Collector Car Appreciation Day.

Government Affairs

Law and Order is an update of some of the most recent federal and state legislative and regulatory issues that could potentially impact the automotive specialty-equipment industry. These include issues affecting small-business owners and their employees.

International

At the end of 2009, there were more than 13,000 franchised automotive dealers in China. Many of them are so-called 4S dealerships, which indicates that the dealer not only sells new cars but also services vehicles as well as sells spare parts.

Member News

In doing my research for this article, I started first by looking to see how women in leadership roles view themselves in other male-dominated industries. I also wanted to see how the leadership styles of men and women differ from each other and, given a male-dominated industry, if one or the other style would be more advantageous.

The Young Executives Network (YEN) will be 20 years old in 2010. While the creation of the group was discussed and planned in the late-’80s, the Young Executives Council (as it was known originally) didn’t become recognized as a member group until 1990.

As with most associations, SEMA’s strength comes from its members. Too often, however, a person joins an association without a meaningful understanding of how he can best benefit from the services and programs provided.

RASR. You’ve heard of the acronym, but what does it stand for? Racers Against Street Racing. The program was created by a coalition of auto manufacturers, aftermarket parts companies, retailers, distributors, professional drag racers, sanctioning bodies, race tracks and automotive magazines.

RASR. You’ve heard of the acronym, but what does it stand for? Racers Against Street Racing. The program was created by a coalition of auto manufacturers, aftermarket parts companies, retailers, distributors, professional drag racers, sanctioning bodies, race tracks and automotive magazines.

RASR. You’ve heard of the acronym, but what does it stand for? Racers Against Street Racing. The program was created by a coalition of auto manufacturers, aftermarket parts companies, retailers, distributors, professional drag racers, sanctioning bodies, race tracks and automotive magazines.

RASR. You’ve heard of the acronym, but what does it stand for? Racers Against Street Racing. The program was created by a coalition of auto manufacturers, aftermarket parts companies, retailers, distributors, professional drag racers, sanctioning bodies, race tracks and automotive magazines.

RASR. You’ve heard of the acronym, but what does it stand for? Racers Against Street Racing. The program was created by a coalition of auto manufacturers, aftermarket parts companies, retailers, distributors, professional drag racers, sanctioning bodies, race tracks and automotive magazines.

A critical initiative for each council is its long-range planning (LRP) meeting. The LRP takes place annually and is designed to discuss industry issues and then formulate a strategy that will drive council goals.

As a kid, incoming Manufacturers’ Rep Council (MRC) Chairman Wade Cobb owned every Matchbox and HotWheels car known to man. When he grew older, he worked part-time at a speed shop in Pauline, Kansas, moving from the back shop to the front, selling carburetors, headers and superchargers.

Required Reading

Last year, journalists in the Los Angeles area reported on a rare SEMA event that took place in Pasadena, California. It wasn’t the amazing collection of vehicles that made the event unique. Rather, it was the fact that the SEMA Show ‘N Shine car show was a fundraiser open to the general public.